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The Nature of Language

The Nature of Language. By Donna Margaret. What is language?. Languages are systematic Rules and principles, like a game of chess. Languages are symbolic The meanings of symbols in a language come through the tacit agreement. Languages are social

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The Nature of Language

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  1. The Nature of Language By Donna Margaret

  2. What is language? • Languages are systematic Rules and principles, like a game of chess. • Languages are symbolic The meanings of symbols in a language come through the tacit agreement. • Languages are social We use it to communicate, to categorize and to catalogue the objects, events, and processes of human experience.

  3. A language is… a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group co-operates.

  4. Early Approaches to SLA • Contrastive Analysis • Error Analysis • Interlanguage • Morpheme Order Studies • Monitor Model

  5. Contrastive Analysis • Focus on the surface forms of L1 & L2 systems • Involves predicting and explaining learner problems • Comparison of L1 and L2 • Determine similarities and differences • Transfer in learning: Positive  chicas to girls Negative  guapaschicas to beautifuls girls

  6. Types of Interference • Same meaning, different form Spanish: Iré (I) will go English: I will go • Same meaning, different form and distribution Spanish: agua ‘water’ English: water

  7. Error Analysis • Internal focus on learners’ creative ability to construct language. • Analysis of actual learner errors. • L2 learners' errors are focused not as bad habits, but as sources of insight into the learning processes. • Errors are windows into the language learner’s mind

  8. Monitor Model • Language Acquisition Device (LAD) • Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis • Monitor Hypothesis • Natural Order Hypothesis • Input Hypothesis • Affective Filter Hypothesis

  9. Consensus • SLA  a “rule-governed” language system • How SLA takes place involves creative mental processes • Why some learners are more (or less) successful in SLA than others relates primarily to the age of the learner

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